PARENTING

DIY Thomas Photo Booth

Whether you're hosting a Thomas Birthday Party or just want a fun photo prop for your little engineer, this DIY Thomas photo booth fits the bill—and you can make it in a snap!

Materials:

· 4 wooden dowels — 3/8” thick and 12” long

· Craft paint (yellow)

· Paintbrush

· Kraft paper

· Pencil

· Scissors

· Paper — 24” x 36” (blue)

· Cardboard — 24” x 36” or larger

· Spray adhesive

· Ruler

· Craft knife

· 3 small black paper plates

· Washi tape (blue, red)

· Hot glue gun and glue

· Cardstock (black, gray, yellow)

· Glue stick

· Masking tape (red)

· Marker (red)

Instructions:

1. Paint the four dowels yellow and set aside to dry.

2. Spray mount the blue paper to the cardboard.

3. Make a simple train shape template on kraft or scrap paper, allowing for an 11” opening towards the back side (for a dowel-framed “conductor booth”).

4. Trace train shape onto blue paper and then cut out with a ruler and craft knife.

5. Add blue washi tape spokes to one half of the 3 paper plates.

6. Hot glue the yellow dowels together to make a square.

7. Cut the black cardstock into a funnel shape and the gray into a square with one domed side (for Thomas’ profile).

8. Glue the black funnel on top of the gray cardstock using the glue stick. Use the glue stick to adhere the face/funnel to the front of the train.

9. Use the red washi and masking tapes to make a border along the bottom and stripes on the top.

10. Cut a number "1" out of yellow cardstock; outline the yellow “1” in red using the marker. Adhere to the train with the glue stick.

11. Hot glue the wheels behind the train so they stick out halfway below.

12. Hot glue the yellow dowel frame onto the opening.

Jodi Levine is a crafter and author. Levine's works, Candy Aisle Crafts, Paper Goods Projects, and SuperMakeIt.com, are all about crafts made from everyday supermarket materials. Jodi contributes to national magazines and television shows while also working with brands such as Fisher-Price and Mattel.